The Government of Canada and the City of Barrie will invest a total of C$3.3 million in a battery electric bus pilot program. The Government funding of C$1.65 million will come from the Zero Emissions Transit Fund.
The joint funding will facilitate the purchase of two battery electric buses and the required charging infrastructure. Barrie Transit will study the operation of these buses and gather data to evaluate the future infrastructure requirements and electricity demand as the city plans a full electrification of its transit fleet.
“The City of Barrie is committed to reducing Barrie’s corporate emissions to net-zero by the year 2050. This investment from the federal government will help us move closer to that goal by enabling us to move quicker towards a greener transit system for our community,” said His Worship Alex Nuttall, Mayor of the City of Barrie.
The Government of Canada is investing $14.9 billion over the next eight years in reliable, fast, affordable, and clean public transit. This funding includes $3 billion per year in permanent, predictable federal public transit funding which will be available to support transit solutions beginning in 2026/27.
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Since 2015, the Government of Canada has invested over $24.8 billion in transit projects across the country, providing Canadians with cleaner and more efficient commuting options.
“To reach our emissions reduction target of net-zero by 2050, we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector,” said Tony Van Bynen, Member of Parliament for Newmarket—Aurora, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities. “Our investment in Barrie’s battery electric bus pilot program marks the first step in the city’s transition to a fully electric public transit fleet. Our Government will continue to work with partners to invest in sustainable transit options in communities.”
Multiple Canadian entities are investing in e-mobility projects to decarbonize fleets. Earlier this year, the Toronto Transit Commission has placed an order of 134 Xcelsior forty-foot hybrid-electric heavy-duty transit buses, and 68 Xcelsior sixty-foot hybrid-electric buses with New Flyer Industries Canada ULC, a subsidiary of NFI Group Inc.
